Vending-machine.



G. 0. CLAWSON.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED HA3. 8, 1912.

1,045.5 14:. Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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G. 0-. GLAWSON.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION PILEDMAR. a, 1912.

1,045,514, Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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.G. G. CLAWSON.

VENDING MACHINE. APPLIGATION FILED MAR. g, 1912.

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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CLEMENT C. CLAWSON, OF FLAG'IOWN, NEW JERSEY.

VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1212.

Application filed March 8, 1912. Serial No. 682,494.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEMENT C. CLAwsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at F lagtown, in the county of Somerset and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates, generally, to improvements in vending machines; and, the

present invention has reference, more particularly, to improvements'in the delivery mechanism of coin-operated vending machines. The invention has for its principal object to provide a coin-operated vending machine with means for compelling the proper feeding of the goods to be vended from the goods-containing compartment to the delivery mechanism, whereby upon every operation of the machine an article will be certain to be delivered.

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularly enumerated will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the present invention.

With the various objects of the present invention in view, the said invention consists in the novel improvements in coin-operated vending machines, hereinafter more fully set forth; and, the invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which are more fully described in the following specification, and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claims which are appended to and which form an essential part of this specification.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of a coinoperated vendlng machine embodying the improvements of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, taken on line 2-2 in said Fig.- 1, looking downward. Figs. 8 and 4: are transverse sections, drawn on enlarged scales, and taken on line 33 in said Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow as, one of said views illustrating the normal position of means for compelling the goods to feed themselves to the delivery mechanism, and the other of said views illustrating the operated position of the same parts. Figs. 5 and 6 are transverse sections, also drawn on enlarged scales, said sections being represented as taken in vertical planes lying in said line 33 in said Fig. 2, also looking in the direction of the arrow 03, and illustrating, respectively, the normal and operated position of a stopmeans operating in conjunction with the delivery'mechanism of the machine. Figs. 7 and 8 are longitudinal vertical sections, taken on line 77 in said Fig. 2, and illustrating a coin-releasing mechanism. Fig. 9 is a detail face view of a part of the inner side of the front wall of the casing of the apparatus, and a dog or stop-member pivotally connected therewith.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the herein-above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the said drawings, the vending machine illustrated therein is of the general type and construction described and illustrated in my previous Letters-Patent, Number 1,006,723, and dated Oct. 24, 1911. r

The referencecharacter 1 indicates a hol low base or casing in which is arranged the coin-controlled mechanism adapted to operate the delivery mechanism of the machine. Suitably arranged upon the top of said base or casing 1 is an upwardly extend ng case 2, providing an interior compartment 2 adapt-- ed to contain the articles to be vended, such for example as pencils, sticks of candy, chewing-gum, or the like. The said case 2 is pro vided in its front wall, at the lower extremity thereof, with a suitable delivery opening 8. Rotatably mounted in suitable bearingportions in the sides of said case 2 is a spindle 4, one end of which projects outside of said case 2, and upon said outwardly projecting end is fixed a hand-grasp or knob 5 for oscillating said spindle. The said spindle 4 extends longitudinally beneath a semi-circular or arc-shaped portion or partition 6 which is suitably connected with the base or casing 1, said arc-shaped portion or partition being provided with a plurality of suitably spaced transverse slots or openings 7. 'Mounted upon said spindle t are a plurality of disk-like members or delivery wheels 8, each wheel being formed in its marginal edge-portion or periphery wlth a cut-in port-ion or notch 9. The sald cut-m portions or notches 9, in the several dlsk-llke members or delivery-wheels 8, are all 1n alinement with each other, and are adapted to receive a pencil, stick of candy, chewinggum, or the like, when properly presented within said goods-compartment 2, and carry the same to the delivery opening 3, when the spindle 4 and its parts are free to be rotated. Pivotally mounted within said goods-compartment 2, and journaled in the end walls thereof, is a longitudinally extending movable ledge or shelf 10, the free edge of which projects over and above the rearwardly presented portions of said disk-like members or delivery wheels 8. Connected wlth sa1d movable ledge or shelf, and preferably forming an integral part thereof, is a forwardly extending arm 11, which projects through a suitably formed and transversely extending opening or slot 12 formed in said areshaped portion or partition 6, so as to extend above and transversely across said spindle 4. Suitably mounted upon said spindle 4; is a cam-member 13, which is located thereon in such a manner so that the said arm 11 of themovable ledge or shelf 10 will ride upon said cam-member 13.

The goods to be vended are stacked within said compartment 2, so that they rest longitudinally across the peripheries of said disklike members or delivery wheels 8 and upon said movable shelf or ledge 10. When a coin is deposited in the coin-controlled mechanism, so that the same may be operated to release said spindle 4 from its locked or held position, and that the same is free to be rotated, the hand-grasp or knob 5 may be manipulated to rotate said spindle and the disk-like members or delivery wheels to carry the cut-in or notched portions 9 of the latter beneath said supply of articles, such for example as pencils 14:, contained within said goods-compartment 2, whereupon one of such articles falls into said cut-inor notched portions 9; and, when said spindle and disk-like members or delivery wheels are rotated in the opposite direction, the said article is conveyed to and expelled out of the delivery opening 8 to the hand of the operator. Owing to the shape of such elongated articles, as pencils, sticks of candy, sticks of chewing gum, or the like, it frequently happens that these articles combine themselves within said goods-compartment 2 in such a manner, so as to form an arch or bridge, whereby the articles are prevented from dropping into the cut-in portions or notches 9 of the said disk-like members or delivery wheels 8. When this happens, the

3, without a pencil, or other article, and if stop-member 15 rides over the pencil 14 to the periphery of one of the disk-like'members or delivery wheels 8 without offering any hindrance to its movement, (as is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings,) hence, the pencil 14 is carried down to the delivery opening 3, and finally delivered tothe purchaser. If the disk-like members or delivery wheels 8 on their return-rotation fail to carry a pencil 14-, or the like, owing to the formation of an arch or bridge of the articles within the goods-compartment, as above described, then the free end of said pivoted dog or stop-member l5 rides into said cut-in portion or notch 9, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, and stops or prevents the said disk-like members from being completely rotated to their normal posit ons. Therefore, the said disk-like members may be turned back to carry said notches 9 beneath the articles again. spindle 41, consequent upon said above described operations, operates the cam-member 13 and causes the same to move the arm 11 upwardly and downwardly, and, conse- The oscillations of the quently vibrates the movable shelf or ledge 10. Since a portion of the articles contained in said goods-compartment must necessarily rest upon sald movable shelf or ledge 10,

it follows that any movement of the latter Referring now, more particularly, to Figs.

7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings, there is illustrated therein a device for removlng from the coin-receiving or depositing opening of the machine, any coin of improper denomination which may have been placed therein, or any coin not properly received by the coin-controlled mechanism. The hollow base or case 2 is provided in its upper wall with a suitably disposed funnel-shaped coin-receiving opening 18, beneath which extends the coin-receiving plate 19, which is slidably m un ed in the guide-plates 20 and 20. The said coin-receiving-plate 19 forms a part of the coin-control1ed mechanism for operating the delivery devices of the vending machine, and the same is fully described in my herein above-mentioned earlier Lettors-Patent. The said guide-plate 20 is formed with an opening 21 providing a coin-passage giving access normally to the coin-receiving opening 22 in said coin-receiving plate 19. The said guide-plate 20 is likewise provided with a slot or elongated opening 21, registering beneath the said coin-receiving opening 22, and suitably con nected with the under side of said guideplate 20 are a pair of downwardly extending and perforated ears 23 in which is supported a fulcrum-pin 24. Mounted upon said fulcrum-pin is an ejecting-lever 25, the outer end 26 of which extends through a suitable opening 27 in the end wall of said base or case 2, so as to be accessible to the hand of the operator, the opposite end of said ejecting lever being provided with an upwardly extending ejector-arm 28 which extends into the said slot or elongated opening 21 of said guide-plate. When an improper coin is placed in said funnel-shaped coin-receiving opening 18, it can be removed only with great difliculty, such difficulty being, however, easily overcome by means of said ejecting lever 25; for, by smartly and quickly pressing down upon the outer free end 26 of the same, the ejector-arm 28 is caused to pass through said coin-receiving opening 22 in said coin-receiving plate 19, and being suddenly brought in contact with said improper coin kicks or tosses the same upwardly and outwardly from the said funnel-shaped coinreceiving opening 18. If the said coin-receiving plate 19 has been moved outvof its normal position, the coin may still be removed in the manner described, since said' coin-receiving plate 19 is provided with second slot or opening 29 through which said ejector-arm may pass to reach the coin, this feature being illustrated more particularly in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

Of course, I am aware that some changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the foregoing specification, and as defined in the claims which are appended thereto. Hence, I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts as described in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said parts, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I claim i 1. In a vending-machine, a goods-compartment, a delivery mechanism in said goods-compartment, a stop-means for automatically preventing the delivery movement of said delivery mechanism when the latter fails to pick up an article to be delivered, a movable shelf arranged to partially support the goods, and means for actuating said movable shelf.

2. In a vending-machine, a goods-compartment, a spindle mounted within said goods-compartment, notched delivery wheels mounted upon said spindle, a pivoted stopmeans adapted to engage a notch of one of said delivery wheels to prevent the delivery movement of said delivery wheels when the latter fail to pick up an article to be delivered, a pivotally mounted shelf arranged in said goods-compartment in registration with said delivery wheels, a forwardly extending arm connected with said shelf, and a cam-member mounted upon said spindle and riding in engagement with said arm of said shelf to oscillate the latter when said spindle is rotated.

3. In a vending machine, ,a goods-compartment, a rotatable delivery mechanism within the same, a pivotally mounted shelf arranged in registration with said delivery mechanism, an arm connected with said shelf, a rotatable cam-member riding in engagement with said arm to oscillate said shelf, and a stop-means for automatically preventing the delivery movement of said delivery mechanism when the latter fails to pick up an article to be delivered.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of March, 1912.

CLEMENT C. CLAVSON.

VVit-nesses FREDK. C. FRAENTZEL, FREDK. H. W. FRAENTZEL.

flopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

